Mission will strengthen relationships with key global centers of growth, foster new partnerships in Israel and the United Arab Emirates

BOSTON – Tuesday, May 13, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced he will lead a coalition of the Commonwealth’s government and industry leaders on an innovation mission to Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to expand opportunities between the Commonwealth, Israel and the UAE for economic development and job creation in the innovation economy sectors.

From May 27, 2014 – June 4, 2014, the Innovation Partnership Missionwill make stops in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in Israel and in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, where the Governor and members of the delegation will visit companies and business organizations in the innovation economy sectors, and meet with top business and government leaders to highlight all that Massachusetts has to offer. The Governor will deliver the keynote at the U.S – Israel CONNECTED Summit, an event that will bring together hundreds of American and Israeli business leaders, academics and government leaders to participate in industry-specific discussions on topics such as medical devices, neuroscience, Internet of Things, eHealth, water tech and cyber security. The Governor will also meet with Israel’s Chief Scientist, Avi Hasson, while in Israel. In Abu Dhabi, the Governor will meet with leaders from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, UAE’s premier research university focusing on advanced energy and sustainable technologies.

“Massachusetts is already a national leader in the innovation economy, but we can’t compete by looking inward,” said Governor Patrick. “This mission is a tremendous opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with key global growth centers to compete for jobs on the global playing field and position Massachusetts as the North American destination for business growth.”

Since taking office, Governor Patrick has led coalitions of the Commonwealth’s leaders from business, academic, financial services and cultural communities to 13 countries including China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. These visits focused on expanding opportunities for job creation in the life sciences, IT, water technology, clean energy, transportation and education sectors to foster opportunities for collaboration between Massachusetts and our global partners.

“The upcoming mission to these important jurisdictions in the Middle East is symbolic of our Commonwealth’s focus on building key trade and investment relationships with partners in countries which share our belief in the power of collaboration in the innovation economy sectors to improve our local economies and strengthen our global economy as a whole,” said Richard Elam, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment.

Following the Governor’s mission to Israel in 2011, Israeli biotech firm EarlySense announced new jobs in Massachusetts and established its U.S. headquarters in Waltham. Israeli company Desalitech, Ltd., a provider of advanced water treatment solutions, also moved its headquarters to Newton. Desalitech was named in the 2013 Global Cleantech 100 as a top company in clean technology. The 2011 mission to Israel also helped launch and coalesce the Commonwealth’s water technology sector, solidifying this important cluster in Massachusetts.

“When Governor Patrick first traveled to Israel in 2011, he challenged us to harness Massachusetts brain power and innovation to create a water cluster in Massachusetts,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “Today, Massachusetts is home to nearly 300 water industry companies, organizations and institutions, creating local jobs in a global market that is estimated to generate nearly $4 billion in annual revenues. This mission will continue that important work”

Last year, a report by the New England-Israel Business Council underscored the impact of Israeli-founded companies on the Massachusetts economy that has grown significantly in recent years, following the Governor’s 2011 mission to Israel. According to that study, Israeli-founded companies in Massachusetts booked $6.2 billion in revenue in the state in 2012 and employed nearly 6,700 people. The study also found that the growth rate of Israeli companies in Massachusetts is five times that of the Massachusetts economy as a whole.

“This mission will bolster the already strong ties between Massachusetts and Israeli companies doing business in the growing clean energy and water innovation sectors, while expanding our collaboration with businesses in Israel and the United Arab Emirates,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “Solving the world’s energy and water challenges will take a truly collaborative effort, and missions like these will expand markets for Massachusetts companies looking to do business on the global stage.”

The Massachusetts-Israel and Massachusetts-UAE Connections:

In 2013, Massachusetts was Israel’s 12th largest import partner from within the United States, with Israel importing approximately $212 million in goods and services. In 2013, Massachusetts was Israel’s 11th largest export partner from within the United States, with Israel exporting approximately $291.8 million in goods and services and the UAE was Massachusetts 23rd largest export partner. A leader in in the fields of clean energy, technology and life sciences in the Middle East region, the UAE and Massachusetts share a dedication to the innovation economy. The recent launch of Emirates Airline’s direct Dubai to Boston flight is presents an opportunity to deepen our relationship and strengthen existing collaboration between Massachusetts and the UAE.

“This mission is another step to ensure that Massachusetts remains an active player in the 21st century global economy,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki. “We look forward to meeting with our foreign counterparts to help increase collaboration and expand the reach of our innovation industries.”

“This trade mission will be an opportunity to further cement and expand the strong ties between the thriving life sciences clusters in Israel and Massachusetts,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “Our last trade mission to Israel yielded concrete results, including the decision by EarlySense to locate its U.S. headquarters in Waltham, and the creation of a collaborative grant program to support joint R&D projects between Massachusetts and Israeli companies. We have since welcomed several additional Israeli companies to Massachusetts, such as ARGO Medical Technologies and NLT SPINE, and we look forward to interacting with more innovative Israeli companies during the upcoming trade mission.”

“Massachusetts is known around the world for its entrepreneurial culture in sectors such as eHealth and cybersecurity, so it’s no surprise that a strong partnership exists between the Commonwealth and Israel, which is known as ‘Startup Nation’,” stated Pamela Goldberg, Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “We’re also excited to work with Governor Patrick and Secretary Bialecki to establish new connections in the UAE and to highlight the Commonwealth’s culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and pioneering technologies.”

Government Delegation for the Massachusetts-Israel-United Arab Emirates Innovation Partnership Mission:

Delegation members will participate in various portions of the mission.

Governor Deval L. Patrick

Mayor Setti Warren, Mayor of Newton

John Barros, Chief of Economic Development, City of Boston

Secretary Greg Bialecki, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development